Differential regulation of cAMP-mediated gene transcription by m1 and m4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Preferential coupling of m4 receptors to Gi alpha-2.

We have used a luciferase reporter gene under the transcriptional control of a cAMP response element as a sensitive monitor of the regulation by muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) of intracellular cAMP levels and cAMP-regulated gene expression. Treatment with the muscarinic agonist carbachol results in an increase in luciferase activity in JEG-3 cells transiently transfected with mouse m1 (8-10-fold) and chick m4 (3-5-fold) mAChRs. Control experiments indicate that these responses are not due to a calcium-mediated pathway and are dependent upon a functional protein kinase A. The m1 and m4 responses are not sensitive to pertussus toxin and the m4 response was potentiated by it. Thus, these responses do not result from direct stimulation of adenylate cyclase by beta gamma subunits released from pertussis toxin-sensitive G-proteins. Atropine treatment of cells transfected with high levels of m4 mAChR, but not m1, causes an elevation in basal levels of cAMP response element-mediated luciferase expression in the absence of agonist. This suggests that the m4 receptor is spontaneously active and can cause constitutive inhibition of adenylyl cyclase that is relieved by atropine treatment. Surprisingly, the m4 receptor exhibits little if any agonist-induced inhibition of luciferase expression at either low or high levels of receptor expression. JEG-3 cells express Gi alpha-1 and Gi alpha-3 but not Gi alpha-2. Cotransfection of Gi alpha subunits with m4 demonstrates that the m4 receptor requires Gi alpha-2 for optimal agonist-mediated inhibition. Even in the presence of Gi alpha-2, high levels of receptor increased luciferase expression at high concentrations of agonist. Thus, the m4 mAChR can undergo a switch in functional coupling from inhibition to stimulation of adenylyl cyclase. This switch is dependent on the level of receptor expression, the subtypes of G-proteins coexpressed with the receptor, and the concentration of agonist. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the Gi alpha-2 G-protein alpha subunit preferentially couples the m4 mAChR to inhibition of adenylyl cyclase in JEG-3 cells.